I'm Bobby Flay.
Each week, one brave chef will try to take me down in my house.
I'm not worried about Bobby.
-What? -[all exclaiming]
This culinary battle is gonna shake down in two rounds.
Round one. To get to me, two contenders have to go through each other,
using an ingredient of my choice.
Let's do it!
[Bobby] Two people that know me well will decide
who's got the skills to beat me.
Round two. I go head to head with the winning contender.
It's their turn to surprise me with their signature dish.
-Go! -[singing] Friendly competition.
Is that distracting?
[Bobby] This is gonna be the first one I don't finish.
-Flay's in trouble. -Whoo!
-[Bobby] Bottom line... -[exclaims]
Everyone's out to beat me.
[bell dings]
Alright, I'm ready for battle.
Who's ready for some action tonight?
[audience cheering]
Alright, let's hear from two friends that hope to trip me up.
Oh my God. That's us.
[Bobby] It's chef Amanda Freitag
and the one and only Carson Kressley.
Hi, everybody.
[sighs] That was so nice.
-Carson, always good to see you. -Likewise.
So you're on every show?
I try to be on all television shows at all times.
I say yes all the time. I'm very easy.
-You don't say no ever? -Almost never.
[laughing]
So Amanda, you're obviously still on Chopped.
-Yes. Have you been on yet? -No. Can you believe that?
-Well, I'll be there next season, chopping stuff. -[Amanda] You'll be there.
-[chuckling] Chopping. -We film out of town now,
-so you'll have to take a trip. -I heard.
-Oh, Knoxville, Tennessee? -[Amanda] Yes.
It's the Paris of east Tennessee, they say.
-[all laughing] -[Amanda] It's glamorous.
Alright, let's bring out some chefs.
Bobby, our first contender has been making tortillas since before she could walk.
Come on out, Maria Mazon.
[salsa music playing]
Oh yeah. A little salsa.
[Amanda] Our next contender is a renowned chef
that's won two James Beard Awards.
Ah.
Please welcome Guillermo Pernot.
[rock music playing]
I know Guillermo.
-Good evening, Maria. -Hello.
-Guillermo, nice to see you again. -How you been?
-Guillermo and I go way back. -I heard.
Guillermo and I did a lot of events together, you know, charity events.
That's how we got to know each other.
I'm gonna give you an ingredient of my choice
and you must make that ingredient the star of your dish.
And that ingredient is...
Halibut.
[Maria] Halibut is a very versatile fish
because it's not overpowering.
Alright, 20 minutes on the clock.
Don't forget. Make the best dish you can.
No ifs, ands or halibuts about it.
-[bell dings] -[audience cheering]
This is a gift for these guys.
Halibut is a fantastic fish.
One of my favorite halibut dishes that I cook is actually steamed halibut.
I make a broth out of like, tomato and fennel and onion.
The texture of halibut is so incredibly silky, you know.
-Yeah, that's it. -It's the cashmere of fish. Smooth.
I want to showcase my style of cooking, which is Mexican cuisine.
So I am making pan seared halibut with Veracruz sauce.
It's fresh, it's bold and simple.
The first thing I do, I get my sauce going.
Stand back.
Tomato, onions, Mexican oregano,
poblano pepper, chipotle powder.
Veracruz sauce, it tends to go with fish.
That's what it was created for.
Maria's a Mexican food expert from Sonora.
I think she's from Tucson.
I grew up in Sonora. Navojoa, Sonora.
But I was born in Tucson, Arizona.
-I rest my case. -We were both right.
I was a waitress in a Mexican restaurant 20 years ago.
I opened a catering company within the restaurant I was working at.
And I fell in love with cooking.
And so, in 2010, I opened Boca,
paying homage to Sonora.
I've been blessed enough to be a two-time James Beard semi-finalist.
And I recently opened a tortilla factory.
It's called SONA.
And it's been the most wonderful ride of my life.
Bobby, I was making tortillas before I could walk.
Prepare to be beat.
[Guillermo] Halibut is a very mild fish,
but it has a beautiful texture
which is perfect for ceviche, tiradito.
Guillermo, what are you making?
I'm making a halibut tiradito, like a ceviche style.
Oh.
Tiradito means ribbons.
It's basically very thin slices of fish.
The protein breaks down by the acidity of the juices that we use.
In this case, it's orange juice, lime juice and salt.
Did you know that Guillermo wrote a speech and cookbook that won a James Beard Award?
Yeah. He's great.
Very well known as one of the best chefs in Philadelphia.
I grew up in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
But I made my way to Philadelphia
and I was the innkeeper at this bed and breakfast.
So I started cooking breakfast for the guests
and I'm like, "Oh boy. I can do this."
I'm always concentrating on Latin American food
and lately, Cuban food.
Today, I'm the chef partner for Cuba Libre restaurants.
Altogether, we opened five restaurants.
So, I have done many competitions.
I have two James Beard Awards
and now I'm ready to say I beat Bobby Flay.
-Under 16 minutes. -[audience cheering]
Hi, chef.
So I hear you're famous for ceviche.
Well, I'm not famous. I like to make ceviche.
-But you're going to make one for us. -[Guillermo] That's right.
I washed the onions in cold water
to remove all that pungentness that the onion contains.
Well, good luck.
Look at that. You've already got a sauce going.
Yeah, I'm making a pescado halibut a la Veracruzana.
-Ah. -[Maria] So I'm just gonna pan sear it.
So how do you feel about the fact that Guillermo is making a raw preparation?
Do you feel intimidated by that?
-No. -You're calm, cool, collected?
I don't know if cool or collected.
[laughs] Okay, guys. Good luck. Good luck.
-Gracias. -Thank you, thank you, thank you.
[audience applauding]
Guillermo's going tiradito.
[Bobby] The only thing I will say about raw preparations
in round one is they have a very low winning percentage.
But if it's well executed, it's well executed.
Next, I am going to pickle some Fresno chiles and some jalapenos
brining in sugar and apple cider vinegar.
And then, throw some tortillas in the frier
because I want a little bit of crunch.
I'm ready to start cooking my fish.
I season with pepper, salt
and they go into a pool of butter.
[Amanda] I am a little worried about Maria's sauce.
It could overpower the delicate halibut.
So she needs to use it sparingly.
-I hope so. -Exactly.
Okay, I'm going in. I'm gonna come see.
Seven minutes.
-This looks gorgeous. -Thank you, dear.
So you're pan searing in some butter.
Are you almost done? Are we thinking we're good on time?
Yeah, I'm trying not to overcook the fish.
-[Carson] Right. Good luck. -Thank you.
-Hello, Guillermo. -How are you?
I'm fantastic.
[Guillermo] I want to be as neat as possible.
So I need a bit more time when I'm plating.
So you cooked it in the citrus broth?
-Slightly. So that's why we call it a tiradito. -[Carson] Okay.
I might use it as one of my screen names on the dating app.
-[all laughing] -[Carson] Tiradito.
Okay, well, carry on.
I decided to use Aji Panca and Aji Amarillo,
two very traditional chiles from Peru.
Two minutes.
The halibut is looking great.
I grab my Veracruz sauce and put it in the bowl.
I'm adding olive to give it more texture.
I spoon the sauce, Aji Panca, a little Aji Amarillo.
Next, the onions on top of the fish,
the pickled peppers,
garnish with micro cilantro and micro celery
with a few tortilla chips.
[all] Ten... Nine... Eight... Seven...
[Maria] And then, mustard green garnish on top.
[all] Four... Three... Two... One...
-[bell dings] -[audience applauding]
I'm looking at my dish. It's a work of art.
We have acidity, you have spiciness.
You have a little bit of everything.
I noticed that her dish had a lot of sauce.
I do believe that my dish highlights the halibut.
[Amanda] Carson and I may joke around,
but we really want to beat Bobby,
-so we take our job seriously. -Mmm-hmm.
Chef Maria, tell us about your dish.
I made a pan sear halibut with a Veracruz sauce.
[suspenseful music playing]
The halibut is cooked perfectly.
It's juicy, tender.
But it's a lot of sauce.
You had a very delicate fish here.
So I think you need a little bit more of a balance.
The halibut is just so well cooked though.
I have to really drive that home with you.
It's so soft and silky and delicious.
I think the sauce is a great compliment.
But I want a little bit more pizzazz from the fish.
I want that little like, salty zing.
Guillermo, what did you make?
I made a halibut tiradito with pickled chiles.
I like the flavors, the texture.
I think it's fresh and bright.
But maybe a little fatty avocado.
I think fatty is the part I'm missing.
I do like the crunchy chips though.
It's like a party in a bowl. It's so much fun.
The fish is really the star of the plate.
The only thing I would say was that you want to be careful
not to overwhelm it... What was that lady's name?
-Aji Amarillo. [laughs] -Aji Amarillo. Her.
She's a spicy biatch.
[laughing]
Chefs, this could go either way.
We have to talk about it.
I didn't play it safe. Guillermo did.
It's a raw dish.
The chef moving forward to beat Bobby is...
Chef Guillermo.
-Thanks, Maria. -Thank you.
I mean, of course it hurts.
We all chefs have egos.
-Thank you. -Great job.
They'd rather eat the ceviche.
Chef, the way you did the halibut was just perfection.
-It absorbed so much flavor. -Thank you.
Chef Guillermo, is there a reason why you want to win?
I've done tons of these competitions.
And I think he would be a great ending.
When you beat him, you're going to retire?
I promise I will never compete again.
-[gasps] -Wow.
But I have to beat him.
Otherwise, I'm going to have to come back
and back and back until I beat him.
-[audience laughing] -[Bobby] Wait a second.
If you beat me, I want a rematch.
[all laughing]
[tense music playing]
Alright, Guillermo. Congratulations.
How do you feel about the second round?
-I'm going to make it easy for you. -No.
-[laughing] No.
-No, don't do it. -Don't worry about it.
Alright, so what is your signature dish?
My signature dish is...
-Cuban sandwich. -Oh, Cuban sandwiches.
-No way. -I love a Cuban sandwich.
We're recruited three experts
who will do a blind taste test.
45 minutes on the clock and your time starts now.
[audience applauding]
Okay, a Cuban sandwich.
-Oh, I love a Cuban sandwich. -Right?
That Cuban bread, it's not the best bread in the world,
-but it's the best bread for pressing. Right. -Bread for the sandwich.
[Amanda] You have the pork, but there's also ham.
And then, usually pickles, and then there's Swiss cheese.
Guillermo, what's that meat you're carving?
This is pork shoulder.
This is a shoulder.
It has a lot of connective tissue.
-It has to cook slow and break down. -It's time. Right.
[Amanda] So the only way to do that in competition
-is a pressure cooker. -[Carson] Okay.
[Guillermo] First thing I do in the pressure cooker,
I put orange juice, onions, lime juice.
Then, the mixture of the spices
which are Mexican oregano, paprika, garlic, cumin.
And roll the pork into the spices, sear some of it.
Guillermo, I have a pregunta. What are you making?
[Guillermo] Tampa Bay style Cuban sandwich.
It has an Italian influence,
-so it has Provolone cheese and salami. -Okay.
-And salami. -Oh, okay.
[Guillermo] It's on our menu at Cuba Libre,
so I've been making it for a long time.
[Bobby] I've made a lot of Cuban sandwiches in my life.
They're so simple, but you know,
they have to be executed right.
So I'm making a Cuban sandwich
that has a sour orange pork with some plantain chips.
I'm gonna cook the pork shoulder with some orange juice,
some chicken stock, some cumin and some lime juice.
Bobby, what's your twist?
I'm gonna use some soppressata.
I'm gonna make a couple different condimentos.
I was inspired by the Aji Amarillo,
so I'm gonna make a little dipping sauce with that.
-Oh, wow. She's my favorite. -[audience laughing]
[Guillermo] I'm going to get started on my plantain and taro chips.
Taro is very starchy,
but at the same time, has flavor of chestnuts.
I'm frying the taro first,
and then, I slice the plantains.
Coming up on 34 minutes, everybody.
-Hello, Guillermo. -[Guillermo] Hi.
-Do you have to peel these? -You don't have to.
And then, is this jicama?
No, that's taro. It's a type of taro.
-Can it be eaten raw? -No, it's poisonous.
-[gasps] -[audience laughing]
[gags]
-It's poisonous. -Is it?
[all laughing]
Tastes fine to me.
[Guillermo] So after I remove the taro from the frier,
I season it with salt.
Add the plantains.
[Bobby] So a Cuban sandwich has some mustard,
but I'm also making a garlic and fresh oregano mayonnaise.
And I'm going to do a little Aji Amarillo mayonnaise.
So it's Aji Amarillo, a little turmeric.
Bobby, Aji Amarillo. I love it.
-So this is the dipping sauce for the plantains chips. -Exactly.
And I'm also making a mustard.
It's yellow mustard and I put some whole grain through it
to give it a little texture.
Oh, and my favorite part.
-The pickle. -The pickles.
Tell me about your pickle.
-[laughs] -Oh.
It's a little sweet, a little sour.
Just the right size.
-[audience laughing] -[Carson] Okay.
-So, you're using a Kosher dill. -Exactly.
Kosher pickle are the best.
[muffled] Oh, that's nice.
I think my work here is done.
[Amanda] 26 minutes on the clock.
Next, I'm gonna make a relish with the pickles.
Put it in the processor and mix it with a mustard.
The relish is not traditional,
but now every bite has the pickle.
[Bobby] I'm using a classic Cuban bread.
So, I'm taking out the stuffing.
I just want a good ratio, so you aren't just tasting bread.
I slather the garlic mayonnaise.
I'm gonna add some soppressata, which is a spicy salami,
but I'm going to stick with Swiss cheese.
So mine is gonna be sort of Miami by way of Tampa.
Then I add some ham, pickles, and then the mustard.
And then, I'm going to make plantain chips.
[Amanda] They're both making plantain chips.
The interesting thing is Guillermo has two kinds of chips,
the plantain and the taro root.
-But are you okay? You ate it and it's poison. -Absolutely.
-I'll be fine. -Okay.
Alright, so under 20 minutes.
[audience cheering]
Now, you're going really old school.
-You're pressing it with brick? -Yeah.
You could use the panini press.
But not for six sandwiches.
So, I cut the bread in half,
and I start spreading the pickle relish.
So when you win, you're never gonna compete again?
Unless he asks me for a rematch.
I say this is your win.
Thank you.
-Not that I doubt your sandwich skills. -[Bobby chuckles]
[Amanda] No, this is good.
This is like, exactly what I want in my fridge right now.
-Exactly. -[laughing]
Alright, well, I'm feeling the Cuban love.
You feeling the Cuban love?
-It's feeling hot and spicy over here. -[Bobby] Okay.
And then, I'm gonna do some very thin and crispy plantain chips.
So I open the pressure cooker.
And it looks pretty good.
So now, I'm going to sear it a little bit in the cast iron pan,
reduce some of the sour orange liquid
so it kind of flavors it a little bit.
-[Amanda] Five minutes. -[audience applauding]
Heading back.
So I pulled the pork out and I started slicing.
-Guillermo, how's your pork looking? -Looking good.
Bobby's is shredded.
[Carson] More like a pulled pork texture.
[Amanda] And Guillermo's is sliced.
[Carson] That's what I think of when I think of Cuban sandwich.
-Lunch meat, thin slices. -Right.
Now, I start building my sandwich.
I put the ham first,
I put the pork, the Provolone cheese,
salami on the top with the lid.
Put the sandwich on,
brush the top of the sandwich with the melted butter.
So then, I put a sheet pan on top of that
and put the brick on top of that.
The key is to reduce the doughiness of the bread.
Okay.
[Bobby] And then, when the pork is ready, I put the pork on.
So I put it into the panini machine.
[Amanda] I'm a fan of the press.
Obviously, it presses everything evenly.
-[Carson] Right. -[Amanda] The top is very heavy and weighted.
-[Carson] Mmm-hmm. -[Amanda] So it keeps everything pressed down.
Alright. Three minutes and thirty seconds.
Guillermo, what's left to do?
I have to continue toasting this bread,
which is not doing that well.
I'm realizing that that griddle is not hot enough.
So I could not get that bread to press properly.
-Okay, you got this. -I know.
And Bobby, what do you have left to do?
Finish cooking these sandwiches.
-How are they pressing? -Pretty good.
I don't think he's happy with his either.
-They both sound depressed. -What happened?
[laughing]
[Amanda] Two and a half minutes.
[Bobby] Well, I'm certainly running out of time at this point.
So for plating, I'm taking some of the plantain chips,
putting them in a little ramekin.
Next to it, I put a little bit of the Aji Amarillo sauce.
And then, I cut the paninis, put them on the plate.
[Guillermo] A wonderful sauce is developing in the pressure cooker.
I said, "I'm got to use this to my advantage."
Gotta go, bubba.
Because this bread is not pressed the way I want it to be.
The best way I can present this,
I'm going to stack it, secure it with a skewer.
[all] Ten... Nine... Eight... Seven...
[Guillermo] And then, garnish it with the chips.
[all] Four... Three... Two... One...
[all applauding]
Good job.
That's amazing.
Bobby, Guillermo, congrats on finishing your Cuban sandwiches.
Now, we'd like to introduce you to our judges.
The chef and owner of FONDA and Mi Vida, Roberto Santibanez.
VP of culinary at Dos Caminos, Ariel Fox.
And the chef owner of My Cuban Spot, Louie Estrada.
Judges, please start with the first Cuban sandwich in front of you.
Right.
[suspenseful music playing]
[crunching]
I love how the pork is cooked.
It's very rich in flavor.
I love that they pulled it as opposed to slicing it.
It holds a lot of the moisture when they do that.
And I love the way that the chips are sliced very thin
so that they got a good crisp on it.
The seasoning is spot on throughout.
I'm getting the pork, I'm getting the crunch on the bread.
I'm getting the mustard, I'm getting the pickles.
Uh, I know traditionally a Cuban should be thin and crisp.
But this is a little too thin in parts for me.
I loved it. It's a well-built sandwich.
Never seen plantain chips so thinly sliced. It's wonderful.
I would say a little bit more kick in that mayo would have been fantastic.
Alright, judges. Please try the second sandwich.
It's too... Too big to put in your mouth,
but the pork, everything has got a lot of flavor.
And the chips are fantastic.
I love the homage to the Tampa Bay side of everything here.
How they incorporated salami.
Love the braising liquid, love the chips.
They were cooked to perfection.
I don't know how the chef got that much flavor in that broth,
but that tastes like something that braised for hours and hours.
It is a very bready sandwich for me.
I would like it a little bit more pressed.
Alright, judges. We're going to ask you to take a vote.
[tense music playing]
[Guillermo] They loved the chips. They loved the sauce.
But the bread is too big for them.
It's a bad decision that I made using the griddles.
And the winner is...
Bobby Flay.
-Thanks, Guillermo. -My pleasure.
I'm very disappointed that I could not get this dish right
when I know I'm much better than this.
They were both great sandwiches.
Bobby, that sandwich just hit every note.
-And the execution of it was spot on. -Thank you so much.
Guillermo, I think it means you have to come back for a rematch.
-So, don't hang up your apron just yet. -[Amanda] Yes.
[Guillermo] This is my second loss
out of many, many, many competitions.
It's okay.
What's up with that?
-I mean... -What's up with that?
Bobby wins again.
-We failed. -How did we go wrong?
-How did we mess this up, Amanda? -I thought we were fun.
-I thought we were amazing. -[laughs]
My Cuban sandwich, that's the way you bring the ham dish in.